Card-feeder



J. B. HOWE.

CARD FEEDER.

. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 13, I920. 1,899,557, Patented D60- 6, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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CARD FEEDER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 13. I920- Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

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JOSEPH B. HOT/VB, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE S.

HARWOOD & SON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A COPARTNERSHIP COM- POSED OF SYDNEY HARNOOD AND JOHN H. HARWOOD.

CARD-FEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

AppIication filed December 13, 1920. Serial No. 430,566.

'1 0 all to 710m it may com com Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. Howie, a citizen of the United States, and resident of \Vorcester, in the county of \Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Card-Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a carding feeder and more particularly to means whereby to properly control the operation of the spike apron and oscillating pin board or doffer commonly employed in such machines.

A machine of the type towhich this invention is applicable is illustrated in the patent to Bramwell 216,373, June 10, 1879, such machine comprising in general a bin or receptacle for fiber, an endless spike apron for elevating fibe from the bin, an oscillating pin board-or doffer for removing fiber from the spike apron, and a weighing device comprising a scale pan for receiving the fiber removed by the doifer.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide for a more thorough doffing of the fiber from the spike apron as well as to prevent, so far as possible, the drop ping of fiber into the scale pan after the latter has received a predetermined load.

A preferred form of mechanism for at taining the above object is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of the left hand end of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a partial front elevation showing the upper portion of the machine frame with the mechanism carried thereby;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation of the right end of the machine illustrating certain features of the drive clutch and clutch dog; and

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the relative arrangement of the spike apron, oscillating pin board and stationary pin board.

1 is the frame of a card feeder of usual construction having at its rear portion a bin these parts reference may be had to the patent to Bramwell 216,373, June 10, 1879.

In the present machine there is arranged an adjustable shaft 3 adjacent the shaft 3 said shaft having thereon a roller or sprocket 5, the shaft 4 being provided with a similar device 6. Over the rollers or sprockets 5, 6 is trained an endless flexible band or chain provided with transverse slats such as 7 from which project sharp pins or spikes 8. This flexible element with its slats and pins is commonly known in the art as the spike apron and serves to convey fiber from the bin 2 upwardly and over the shaft 4r to a position where it may be doffed or removed therefrom by an oscillating doffing device 9. The dofiing device 9 comprises a sector fixed to a transverse shaft 10 journaled in the machine frame, such sector providing a curved surface 11 from which project sharp pins or spikes 12. The oscillation of such sector 9 serves to comb off the fiber from the spike apron. Cooperating with the sector 9 (hereinafter referred to asthe oscillating pin board or doffer) is a stationary curved board or support 13 also provided with pins or spikes 14. As the fiber is removed from the spike apron by the oscillating pin board it is combed or dragged down across the spikes 1d and thus is reduced to a certain extent from the extreme lumpy condition in which it occurs in its raw state to a more uniform and open texture so that it is better fitted for presentation to the carding machine.

Projecting forwardly from the frame 1 is a bracket 15 which serves to support an end less conveyer 16 comprising a flexible support having secured thereto transversely extending slat-s, such support with its slats being known as the slat-apron. Cooperating with such slat-apron are the usual devices for assisting the latter in moving the fiber and for compacting the fiber somewhat into the form of a bat.

16 is a bracket projecting forwardly from the frame at a point underneath the stationary pin board 13 and serving to provide a fulcrum point for a scale beam 17, it being understood that a similar bracket 16 and scale beam 17 are arranged at the opposite side of the machine frame. Scale beams 17 may be counterweighted as at 18 and support at their forward ends a scale pan 19 into which the fiber drops as it is doffed by the oscillating pin board. This scale pan serves through suitable connections (not herein illustrated) to actuate a clutch mechanism whereby the movement of the shaft 4: may be'discontinued at intervals. Connections suitable for operating such a clutch by means of a scale pan are clearly indicated in the patent to Howe 998,003, July 18, 1911, and it is therefore believed unnecessary to describe such connections at length herein, it being merely sufiicient to state that upon filling of the scale pan with fiber to a sufficient extent to cause it to tip downwardly, suchfdownward movement serves to actuate a dog which thereupon operates to disconnect the elements of a driving clutch inter-- posed between drive pulley 50 and the shaft 4.

Referring to Fig. 3 the clutch dog is inclicated at 20, being pivoted at 21 and provided with a counterweight 22 which normally tends to throw the operative end of the dog 20 into the path of movement of a series of lugs or teeth 23 carried by the clutch disengaging element. The dog may be held in inoperative position by means of a lever 24 provided with a trip arm 25 upon which a lug 26 of the dog 20 may normally rest. 27 indicates the connection to the scale pan whereby the lever 2a is actuated to permit the dog 20 to turn under the action of the weight 22 whereby to engage the lugs 23. 28 indicates a connection whereby the dog 20 may be reset when it.is desired to restart the machine. Such device may be operated substantially as indicated in the patent to Howe.

The clutch employed may be of substantially the same form as that disclosed in the patent to Howe referred to, with the exception that whereas the clutch operating wheel e'of the latter patentis provided with a relatively large and indefinite number of stop lugs or teeth 6 in the present device the clutch disengaging wheel 29 is provided with but seven such teeth as indicated at 23, these teeth being spaced equally about the circumference of the wheel. WVith this ar rangement it is evident that the shaft l may 7 be stopped in any one of seven predetermined positions only.

Upon the opposite end of the shaft t upon which the clutch mechanism is mounted is secured a large gear wheel 30, such gear wheel meshing with a small gear wheel 31 turnmg upon a stub shaft 32 fixed in the machine frame. The ratio of pitch dimensions of the wheels 31 and 30 is substantially as one to seven, that is to say, the gear 31 will make substantially seven complete turns to each rotation of the wheel 30.

Fixed tothe gear 31 is a crank pin 83 having secured thereto one end of a connecting rod 34:. The connecting rod 34: extends forwardly and may have formed integrally therewith or secured thereto a rack bar 35. In the present case this rack bar is shown as a separate element secured to the connecting rod 3% by means of a sleeve 36 and bolt 37.

The shaft 10 upon which the sector 9 is mounted projects to the left. of the machine frame (Fig, 2), and has pivota-lly supported thereon a depending stirrup 38, such stirrup being provided at its lower side with a guide piece 39, which may be adjusted in a vertical direction by means of the slots 40 and bolts 41. The guide piece 39 serves to support the forward end of the rack bar 35 and to guide the same for reciprocatory movement. Fixed to the shaft 10 between the spaced sides of the stirrup 38 is a pinion 42.

By the connections. thus described it. is evident that rotation of the crank pin 33 will oscillate the pinion 42 and therewith the shaft 10, thus imparting the desired rocking movement to the oscillating pin board .9.

In assembling the machine the clutch dis- 7 engaging elements are so fixed relatively to the shaft 1, that upon engagement of the dog 20 with one of the teeth 23, the shaft 4: will be stopped and through the connecting mechanism described the sector 9 will be brought to rest in its uppermost position as indicated in Fig. l. As the clutch disengaging wheel 29 has seven teeth, and as the ratio of diameter of the wheels 31 and 30 is as one to seven, it is evident that the mechanism may be so set that regardless of which tooth 23 is engaged by the stop dog, the shaft 10 will be brought to rest in substantially the same position. In this manner it is possible to stop the spike apron and the oscillating sector 9 simultaneously (the two devices being driven by the same shaft 4) while it is at the same time possible always to bring the sector 9 to rest while occupying a position at the upper limit of its path of movement. Furthermore by employing the large gear 30 driving the small gear 31, the linear speed of movement of the oscillating pin board 9 is made relatively large as compared with that of the spike apron, and thus the material is doffed in a very perfect manner from the latter.

In the general operation of the device, the

fiber, having been raised by the spike apron, is doffed therefrom by the oscillating pin board 9'whichruns at relatively high speed. The fiber as doffed is dumped in the pan 19 and when the latter has received a predetermined weight, it tilts downwardly, thereby actuating the connection 27 and releasing the dog 20 to engage a tooth'23 of the wheel 29. The driving elements of the clutch are now disengaged and the shaft 4 comes to rest, thus at the same time stopping the movement of shaft 10. As the shaft 10 stops at the end of the upward movement of the sector 9 there is no tendency to carry additional fiber downward into the pan after the latter has received its proper weight. On the other hand, the upward movement of the oscillating pin board serves to carry upward any fiber which has been partially doffed from the spike apron or which may be hanging from the stationary pin board. Thus by stopping the sector 9 at the same time with the stopping of the spiked apron and particularly by stopping it at the upward limit of its stroke, the measurements of weight by the scale pan are rendered much more accurate than when the oscillating pin board is permitted to continue its movement after the stopping of the spike apron. .l hen the scale pan has been dumped in the usual manner the movement of the spike apron and oscillating pin board 9 will again be started through actuation of the connection 28 and restoration of the dog 20 to normal inoperative position.

Having thus described the invention and the mode of operation thereof, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A card feeder comprising in combination, a drive shaft, a spike apron driven thereby, an oscillating pin board, connections between said shaft and pin board for driving the latter, and automatically actuated means for stopping said shaft whereby,

simultaneously to discontinue the movement of said spike apron and said pin board.

2. A card feeder comprising a spike apron for elevatingfiber, an oscillating pin board. means for driving said apron and board, and means controlled by the weight of fiber removed from said apron by the pin board for rendering inoperative the driving means for said spike apron and pin board.

3. In a device of the class described, a spike apron for lifting fiber, an oscillating pin board for dofiing fiber from said apron, means for driving said apron and pin board. a weighing device for receiving the dofied fiber from said apron, and means actuated by the movement of said weighing device under predetermined weight of fiber for sinmltancously stopping the movement of said apron and pin board.

4. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a shaft. means for imparting continuous rotation to said shaft, a spike apron passing thereover and driven thereby, a doffer member oscillating about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft, and rack and pinion connections between said shaft and said doffer member for imparting movement of oscillation to the latter at a speed relatively greater than that of said shaft.

5. In combination in a textile machine, a shaf, an arm fixed thereto, a dolfer member secured to said arm, a pinion fixed to said shaft, a housing supported upon said shaft, an adjustable guide member carried by the housing, a rack bar slidable within said guide member, and having teeth engaging said pinion, and means of oscillating said rack bar.

6. A card feeder having in combination, a stationary pin board, an oscillating pin board cooperating therewith, a shaft supporting said oscillating pin board, a pinion fast to said shaft, a housing suspended for oscillation upon said shaft and adjacent said pinion, said housing having a guideway therein, a bar slidable within said guideway and having rack teeth thereon engaging said pinion, and arotating crank device for reciprocating said bar.

7. A textile machine having in combination with fiber conveying means, an oscillating doifer member cooperating therewith, and automatic means for stopping said doifer member at the uppermost limit of its stroke.

8. In a machine of the class described, a spike apron, an oscillating pin board, and means for driving said spike apron and said pin board, said driving means comprising disengageable connections constructed and arranged to stop the movement of said spike apron and said pin board at a time when the latter occupies the uppermost limit of its movement.

9. In a machine of the class described, fiber elevating mechanism, an oscillating doffer, and means for actuating said elevating mechanism and said dofi'er comprising a clutch having disengageable elements and a member operable for disengaging said elements, said latter member being constructed and arranged to become operative to disengage said elements only when said dolfer occupies a predeterminedposition in its path of movement.

10. A card feeder comprising in combination, operative mechanism, an oscillating pin board, and clutch mechanism through which such pin board is driven, said clutch mechanism comprising a tooth and a stop dog for engaging said tooth, said tooth being so constructed and arranged that when engaged by said dog the clutch elements will be disengaged to cause stopping of the pin board at the uppermost limit of its movement.

11. A card feeder having in combination, an oscillating doifer member, a rock shaft for supporting the same, a rotatable drive shaft, connections between said drive shaft and said rock shaft for actuating the latter, a clutch device having disengageable elements for driving said drive shaft," said clutch having a member operable to disengage said elements, a plurality of stop lugs carried by said member, and a stop dog engageable with either of said lugs, the arrangement of said lugs and the ratio of movement of said drive shaft and said rock shaft being such that regardless of the particular lug engaged by said dog, the clutch elements Will be disengaged to leave such doifer member stationary in a predetermined point in its path of movement.

12. In a carding feeder in combination, a shaft, a clutch device having disengageable elements for driving said shaft, said clutch 7 comprising a rotatable member for disengaging said elements, a plurality of equally spaced stop lugs carried by said member, a second shaft driven from said first shaft and having a speed as many times that of said first shaft as said member has stop lugs,

an oscillatory dofi'er member actuated by said second shaft, and an automatically actuated dog for engaging said stop lugs, the parts being so constructed and arranged that upon engagement of said dog With either of said lugs the doffer will come to rest at a point corresponding substantially to the beginning of its operative stroke.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this third day of December, 1920.

- JOSEPH B. HOWVE, 

